Pako Festa

Pako Festa showcases cultural diversity – via a smorgasbord of cultural food, folk dancing, the famous Pako Street Parade, workshops, art exhibitions, multicultural craft displays and entertainment on six world music stages in a free street festival stretching out over 1 kilometre.

The festival is an opportunity for local and regional cultural groups to promote cultural diversity and educate the broader community on the beauty and enriching capacity of multiculturalism and community arts.

Pako Festa is traditionally held on the last Saturday of February and celebrated its 35th year of operation in 2017. Pako Festa continues as an enduring and much-loved community festival, making a significant contribution to our region through its annual celebration of the values of ethnic diversity, tolerance and harmony.

Throughout the State and, indeed, the nation, there are very few community street festivals that can claim to have made such a significant contribution to the country’s social capital.

This predominantly community-driven multicultural event has created an opportunity for Geelong to become the focal point of significant state and regional interest, attracting widespread media attention, strong support of corporate and Government representatives and visitation of around 100,000 people, from within and beyond our region.